Phonograph-needle holder



July 5 1926.-

H. BAKER PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE HOLDER Filed Oct. 16, 1922 A r71 egs Patented July fi 1926.- I

UNITED STATES? HOWARD n. BA'KER; orinurrnno, NEW YORK.

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Kpplication filed October 16,1922. Serial No. 594,985. ,i

This invention relates to a holder or mounting for the needles of phonographs and has for its "object the provision-oi a,

. needle holderwhich not. only reproduces sounds from the records unaccompanied by' the usual scratchy noises but also brings,

' out the full sweetness, values and shading 2 so construct theneedleholder that the same of the tones in striking resemblance to the original vocal, instrumental or other. tone renditions.

,Th-is invention has the further. object'to -may be'easily "and conveniently" adjusted While the phonograph is; in operation to render the selection :eitherloud or soft or any desiredintermediate volume of tone as ranged above .the needle for producing a:

best suits the character ofthe' selection or the conditions under which the phonograph is operating and thus permits of dispensing. with themufliers, dampers or sound controllers now commonly employed in connectionwith' such instruments. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a phonograph equipped with my improved needle holder. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of "the same. Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the same. Figure 4 is aninner3end view thereof. Figure5 is a orosssection on line 5-5 ,"Fig. 2. Figure 6 is an outer end elevation'thereof, showing the heavier part of the needle'support arloud rendition of the record. Figure 7 is a similar view, showing the heavier part of the needle holder arranged on one side of the center of the needle for-producing a soft rendition of the selection. Figure 8v is .a"

' fragmentarylongitudinal section ofthe core taken .on line; 88, Fig. 2. Figure 9 is a similar longitudinal section taken at right angles to Fig. 8 and omitting the needle and clamping screw. Figure .10 is. a perspectlve View ofth'e clamping screw, Figure 11' is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 2, showing'a'lmodifiedform of my in its. underside with a. socket 252 in, which a means-of a. set screw 23, so thatv its pointed lower end can trace the grooves v.in the record, which inthe. present form is shownas a. disk 24l-rotatably v1y,belowtheJsQund-b X. 7 Instead of securing the'needle 25 directly to the socketon thesoundboX, thesame is secured-indirectly thereto by means of the mounted immedi atehold er embodying. my invention and yielding phonograph needle is ordinarily secured by s the advantages above enumerated. This holder in the form shown in Figs. 1-10 is.

constructed as follows:

As. awhole the holder forms a support @fo'r'theneedle which is heavier on one side of the, needle than on, the other which serves,

to modify thetone produced in a manner as .will; presently appear. I

In the preferred construction, thersupportf comprises an inner metallic memberor core 26 which carries the needle and outer'metal-L lic'memberor shell'27 arranged aroundthe core andmounted on the sound box, and a .cushion 281interposedbetweenthe'core and a shell, this support being elongated and hav' ing the'a'xis of it'slelongation arranged at right angles to the axis of the needle mounted thereon andthe-sound box socket with whichit iscon'nected The core and shell by preference consists of brass although may be employed,"andthe cushion consists of rubber or',lother elastic material which has thejcapa city-of transmitting tone vibra I tions but eliminating therefrom sharp 'othermetals: having the requisite resonance scratchy 'efl'ectsf due tol-limperitections inv the facture, the core and shell are made general 1y. of cylindrical form and thefcushion is likewise made of this ,Iiormand arranged 7 between the same iorfasulficientlongitufl (record. Forooiwtanience" and ease of manu-' dinaldistance to insure a proper sup-port for i the needle: The shell preferably has'ythe form of a tu'be whichis open at-oneend and closed at the other end by a head 29 .which' is formedintegral therewith and eX- tends acrossv the corresponding end oi the core. The openend'of theshell' is provided with a peripheral enlargement 3O i n",which is secured a rearwardly projectingshank 31' which is insertedin the socket .22 of the;

needle arm-and fastened therein by'the set 0 The exposed outer end 'of'the ,core'which screw 23.

corresponds to the open end of the shell-ear- I permitting the passajge of those vibrations ries the needle while the inner end of the same is separated from the adjacent head of I the shell by an intervening space32, thereby avoiding metallic contact between these.

members and preventing thetransmission of harsh sounds from the needle to the sound boxbutinstead compelling all sound vibrations to be transmitted through the cushioning member which has the effect of absorbing the scratch vibrations of the'record and i only to have true tone value or quality and thus rendering theselection more faithfully and agreeably. For the purpose of increasing the mellowness and resonance of the tones thustransmitted, the inner end of the core facing the head of the shell'is'bored out to form 'a loi igitudinal cavity 33 extend- "ing the'butt end ofthe needle sothat the pointed end of the latterprojects forwardly" therefrom and a clamping screw 35 working I in an internally threaded opening 36 formed axially or lengthwise in the outer end of the 7 core and bearing at its inner end' aga nst the side of the shank of the needle; This screw is able to thus engage the needle without deflecting the latter by reason of the opening 36 being bored sufiiciently deep so that its inner end terminatesat or intersects the center of the needle socket,thereby sup "porting the end portions of theneedlebutt around its entire circumference whilefone s de of the central part of thebutt is supported on the intermediate" semi-circular portion of the socket and the'opposite side of the intermediate portion of the needle butt is engaged by the clamping screw in order to prevent the pressure ofthis screw from bearing with its central part on the butt of the needle and thus possibly tilting or cooking the same at an angle, in V the event of any. imperfections in workmanship, the central part of the inner end; of

this screw is provided with a recess 37 which produces an annular rim 38 onthis end of the screw 35. By this means this screw can only bear at widely separated points against the needle butt upon engaging the same,

which points are arranged adjacent to the extremities of the needle socket and thus ensure a grip on the needle over a wider area and causing the same to be held reliably 1n its'proper position in thecore, For

convenience in turning the screw 35 the outer end of the same is provided with a "knurled thumb piece 39.

In'the preferred construction, the needle 25 and the attaching shank 31 arearranged on diametrically opposite sides v of the holder and axially in line with each other,

as shown, or nearly so, which arrangement is possible by cutting away a part of the side wall of the shell adjacent to its open end, as shown at 40','for the passageof the needle into and out of the socket in the core. 7 g

If desired, the needle may be secured to the core in the manner shown iilFlgSkll and 12, in which case the outer end of the core is provided-with transverse'soc ket 7 4-1 which is triangular in cross section and adapted to receive either round or triangwf lar needles which are held lll SELlCl socket by a lclampingscrew 12 arranged on the core; ()wmg'to this construction ofthe needle holder and the manner 'ofmounting the same on'the sound box,' the preponderating weight of the support for the needle onone side of the same, due 'to arranging the needle and shank on the outer end and open end of the core and shell, respectively, it

is possible to shift this weight so that it presses the point of the needle with varying effect against the undulating surfaces of the grooves on the record. Accordingly, if

the needle holder is turned about the axes of the needle and shank so that the heavier inner end andthe headed end of the core and shell are arranged vertically or directly above the needle, as shown by full lines'in Figs. 1 and '6', the latter will be pressed against the undulating surfaces of the rec- 0rd with a maximum force and thereby obtain' the loudest volume of tone from the record. If, however, the heavier end of the zontally or projects laterally'from one side of the needle, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by full lines in Fig.7, then the needle is pressed with a-minimum force against the undulatingsurfaces of thereoord which results in producing the softest rendition of the record; Similarly the preponderating weighted endof the holder body may be turned about the axes of the needle and shank so as to occupy an angular position intermediate the extreme ver tlcal and horizontal positions ust described and thus cause a corresponding intermediate volume of tone to he delive'redifrom the record I 7 It is thus possible by adjusting this overhanging weight of the holder to so adjust holder is turnedabout the axes of the needle and shank so that the same is arranged h'ori the same to suit the particular "selection which is rendered, the size of the room in which the phonograph is operating and other conditions. Thisadjustment in the volume of the tone is e'ffec'tedwvithoutadjusting'the needle lengthwise for this purpose as is commonly done to either shorten or lengthen the unsupported front or pointed 7 so V pable of rotary adjustment aboutthe means end of the'needle nor does it require the of the needle to be changed to obtain different tone efiects. Y

" In all .of the various positions of the holder, no change is effected in the purity or quality of thetone as compared with the naturaltone but instead the tone retains its purity and clearness regardless of whether the reproduction is'loud or soft.

This holder therefore renders it possible, to dispense with the, usual mechanical de- A vices nowcommonly found in phonographs attaching a needle thereto, and connecting 7 means for connecting the same with a'sound box, said support being heavier onone slde of'the axis of the needle than the other said attaching means and connecting means'being axially in line and said support being oawhich connect the same with the sound box as an axis. v r 1 2. A phonograph needle holder comprising] a support provided on opposite sideswith means for fastening a needle to'the support and with means for fastening the support to; a sound box, and said support being heavier on one side than the other of a line connect ing said means for fastening the needlecto the support and the means for fastening the latter to the sound box and said support being capable of rotaryadjustment about the means which connect the same with the sound box as an axis. V

3. A phonograph needle holder comprising a support provided on one side with a socket in which a needle is to be fastened and on its diametrically opposite side with a shank adapted to be fastened to a sound box, said support being heavier on one side than the other of a I line connecting. said socket and'shank said socket'and shankbe-v ing in line and said support being capable of rotary adjustment about the means which connect the same with the sound box as an axis. 7 4. A phonograph needle holder comprising a metal core adapted to carry the needle, a

parts ofvsaid coreand shell.

metal shell arranged around-the core and adapted to be atta'ched to asound box, and

a cushion interposed between said core and shell, 5 an air space being formed between 5. A' phonograph needle holder comprising a metal core adaptedto carry the needle, a metalshell arranged around the core and adapted to be attached to a sound box, and.

a cushion interposed between said core and shell, said'core and shell having a greater part of their bodies arranged on one side of- I r I the needle than on the other. I

6. A phonograph 'needleholder comprising a metal core adapted to carry the needle,

a inetal she'll arranged around the core and adapted to be attached to a sound box, and

a cushion interposed between said core and shell, said core and shell havinga greater part of their bodies arranged on one side of the needle-than on the other and constructed to form an air space at those ends of said ing a cylindrical core provided at'oneend with a transverse socket adapted toreceive a needle" and having a longitudinal'cavity in its other end extending to the exterior of the corerat the corresponding end, a'shell enclosing said core and adapted to be atthe core and having ahead which extends across that end 'ofthe core opposite tov the one containing-said socket, a cushion arranged between said coreand shell, that end of the shell opposite to the one having the headbeing cutaway on its front side'to ex- 7 pose thefront end of said socket in the core. I

9. A phonographneedle holder compris-' Y J ingacylindrical core provided at one end wlth a transverse socket adapted to receive bodies Whicharefarthest from'the needle. 7. A phonograph needleholder.compris' a needle, a cylindrical shell arranged around the core and having a head which extends across that end of the core opposite to the one containingsaid; socket, a cushion arranged between said core and shell, that end of the shell opposit-eto thepne'having the head being cutaway on its front side to expose the front e'ndof said-socket in the core,

and a shank arranged externally on the shell opposite to its cut away portion and substantially in j diametrical alinement with said needle socket. l V

, HOWARD H. BAKER. 

